Vogue Italia brought some serious glamour to the cover last month, featuring a flawless Grace Elizabeth shot by Steven Meisel. The Italian fashion bible now dials back the pizazz for August 2017, unveiling a dramatically toned-down Lara Stone cover. Returning exactly one year after her last solo Italian Vogue outing, the Dutch bombshell was photographed by Harley Weir for the occasion, serving a spring-inspired close-up wearing Calvin Klein.

IMAGE: FATTONGUE.COM

Unfortunately, the cover wasn’t enough to lure a vast majority of our forum members to the newsstand. “That looks unflattering. Ouch. I love Lara and I like Harley Weir. What’s up with Vogue Italia? And that hideous art direction! One word would’ve sufficed!” stated a far from impressed MON.

“I feel like this has so much potential. I’m hoping by filling other photographers, Meisel will be back for the September issue. I kind of like the styling but this needs to be zoomed out. It just doesn’t really make sense and not very summery,” wrote TaylorBinque.

“I’m over 90s photography, when can we go back to 2000s glamour?” quipped kokobombon.

Also disinterested was vogue28: “I guess Vogue Italia wasn’t able to match the brilliance of last month’s Grace Elizabeth cover and just created something sub-standard to follow. A thumbs down from me this month, I’m afraid.”

Scotty wasn’t impressed, either. “Nope. I’d give the first one to POP and the second one (the fold-out) to some random Vogue like Brazil or Turkey,” he slammed.

“I quite like it. Although I do think a bit more zoomed out would’ve been more flattering. Yes to Lara and another photographer! Meisel is really a hit or a miss and I’m waiting for him to do a hit where he doesn’t shoot a new young girl,” said vanpersie.

Are you impressed with Vogue Italia’s latest? Check out the content, see the fold-out with Lara and join the conversation here.